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Uganda: St Lawrence University Redefines Beauty
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New Vision (Kampala)
8 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Pidson Kareire and Frederick Womakuyu
Kampala
NORMALLY, girls are paraded, asked to change into different garments, made to sashay on the catwalk and asked different questions to determine their intelligence. The winner takes it all. That is the norm in selecting a beauty queen, but not at St. Lawrence University.
In effort to move away from the conventional beauty pageant and add value to a tradition that at most shallow in appreciating and rewarding talent and skill, St. Lawrence organised the first educational beauty contest at Lugogo Indoor Stadium last Saturday.
Dubbed Mr and Miss St. Lawrence 2008/9, the contest focused on business skills and entrepreneurship. Students exhibited what they were taught. They came up with small projects on how best they could form and run businesses.
The best student, Trisha Muthoni, was crowned Miss St. Lawrence University. She won a car and sh10m. The first runner-up, Julius Muhuruzi, was crowned Mr. St. Lawrence University. He won a trip to South Africa.
According to Esther Muddu, the dean of students, the contest was about creativity and ability to turn God-given talent and desires into entrepreneurial skills.
The business stalls ranged from video graphics, salons, restaurants, supermarkets, crafts, gym to shops.
"We are demonstrating that at St. Lawrence University, students are taught how to create jobs not seek them," Lawrence Mukiibi, the chairman of the board of trustees, said.
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He added that the university did not look at face value, but entrepreneurial skills, which he referred to as intellectual beauty.
"The contestants presented different business plans to the judges. A good business plan enabled one to stay in the competition," Said Tabby Dennis, a contestant.
The chief guest, state minister for information communication and technology Alintuma Nsambu, promised to give the university more computers. The contest was sponsored by students and their parents.
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| Copyright © 2008 New Vision. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections -- or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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